Tourism stakeholders in Asia-Pacific are more and more recognising a rising demand for native cultural experiences amongst travellers, and say that earnings might help to assist native communities and protect cultures.
Talking on the current PATA webinar, Cultural Heritage and Tourism – Greatest practices from Asia Pacific, collectively co-organised with Airbnb, the latter’s Asia-Pacific director of public coverage, Steven Liew, mentioned there’s wholesome demand for historic properties in Asia-Pacific, a class that was launched final 12 months.
As a result of intensifying demand from travellers, Airbnb is now working intently with NTOs to broaden its listings of historic properties throughout the area. Simply final month, the corporate signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Tourism, Authorities of India to showcase India’s heritage stays on its lodging platform.
Airbnb at the moment has greater than 800 conventional homes (hanoks) throughout South Korea, over 500 historic properties in Japan, and greater than 400 historic properties and 20 castles in India.
There are additionally loads of distinctive experiences with passionate and educated hosts for company seeking to immersive themselves within the traditions of previous and current communities within the locations they go to, Liew added.
Governments are additionally taking cue from the growing demand for cultural heritage tourism – apart from preserving the architectural heritage of a spot, they’re additionally supporting native economies in rural areas by creating jobs and providing capability constructing alternatives.
Fellow panelist, Sanghoon Lee, govt director, tourism trade division, Seoul Tourism Group, shared that underneath the Seoul Metropolitan Authorities’s new masterplan, Seoul will construct 10 new hanok villages throughout the subsequent decade, thus increasing the nation’s heritage structure assortment for the pleasure of its residents and guests to town.
Town additionally has a assist programme that improves residential circumstances of hanoks, with subsidies for renovation prices, he mentioned.
Montakarn Suvanatap Kittipaisalsilp, programme officer for tradition, UNESCO Bangkok, Thailand, shared that UNESCO and the Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration of Thailand are going to launch a brand new challenge to construct a community of tourism professionals that know easy methods to maximise the usage of intangible cultural heritage and artistic industries within the native areas.
In the meantime, Laura Jones, stakeholder & trade engagement director, Tourism & Occasions Queensland, mentioned her organisation is guided by the imaginative and prescient of the Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander subcommittee on the board to see Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples cultures and historical past celebrated, and truth-telling valued.
“The way in which to do this actually is thru tourism. So, that’s the strategy to protect and promote and defend, and we wish to see equal alternative and self-determination,” mentioned Jones.
She additionally confused on the significance of guaranteeing that the Aboriginal and the Torres Strait Islander peoples histories, tales and cultures are shared authentically and with their permission.
